5 Tips for Staying Healthy at Work

5 Tips for Staying Healthy at Work

We’ve all heard the phrase, “do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life.” But here’s the thing: even if you love your job – and I mean really love it – it likely doesn’t involve you hanging out on a pool float all day sipping on Mai Tais.

The average American works an estimated 90,000 hours in their lifetime and spends about 100 hours per year commuting. Whew, that’s a lot of time! What’s more, the overwhelming imbalance of work-to-personal life may be a contributing factor for the increased likelihood of anxiety, burnout, and insomnia.

But there are small actions you can take to improving your workdays – and your health – for the better.

5 Tips for Staying Healthy While Working

Tip 1: Stock your desk, company fridge, or lunchbox with healthful foods.

If you surround yourself with a constant onslaught of donuts and soda, you’ll probably eat or drink them. Alternatively, if you surround yourself with whole fresh veggies, fruit, and tea, you’ll be more likely to eat or drink those, too. Do yourself (and your co-workers) a big favor and set yourself up for healthy eating success. You can even take the lead and plan healthy potlucks or continental breakfasts at your office.

Check out some of our recipes below for inspiration!

Blueberry Forever Smoothie

This smoothie is – without a doubt – one of our company’s go-to favorites for breakfast. You’ll often see NutriBullet employees sipping on this simple, wholesome, and balanced smoothie during our morning meetings!

Continental breakfast on Fridays is a standing tradition here at the NutriBullet headquarters. Chef Mayra is famous throughout the office for her oatmeal and innovative egg dishes. Lucky for you, we’re sharing two of her most popular recipes below. We encourage you to bring these dishes to your office to share with your co-workers!

Large Batch Overnight Oats

People in our office literally flock to Chef Mayra’s overnight oats since they’re so creamy and flavorful. Make your own workplace oatmeal or overnight oats bar by setting up a variety of toppings – it makes a great office breakfast or weekend brunch!

Muffin Frittatas

If you’re a meal prepper, add these easy Muffin Frittatas to your Sunday must-make list. Equally as perfect when serving a crowd, these individual bite-sized egg dishes are a great on-the-go breakfast for busy workday mornings.

Tip 2: Stand up and move.

The human body is designed to move, and for thousands of years, that’s exactly what we did. Thanks in large part to improved technology and industrialization, however, we’re more sedentary than ever. According to a 2015 report published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, more than half of the average person’s waking hours are spent sitting (think: commuting, working at the computer, watching TV, the list goes on…) The review found that people who sat for prolonged periods of time – even among those who exercised regularly – had a higher risk of dying from all causes. So, take this as a gentle nudge to set an alarm on your phone, and make it a priority to get up every 30 minutes, opt for a standing desk, walk while you’re on your conference calls, or head outside for a few minutes during your lunch break.

Tip 3: Eat lunch away from your desk.

Give your mind a break and your food the attention it deserves by scheduling a lunch break for yourself each and every day. Taking scheduled breaks for nourishment and for healthy interactions with your colleagues will do wonders for your morale. According to a recent survey conducted by Tork, nearly 90 percent of North American employees reported that taking a lunch break helps them feel refreshed and ready to tackle the rest of the day. Not to mention, enjoying a balanced meal will also help prevent a case of the 3 PM afternoon mindless-munchies (I’m looking at you: vending machine chips).

Tip 4: Take your vacation days.

According to the “State of the American Vacation” from the U.S. Travel Association, the majority of American employees had unused vacation days in 2017, accumulating into 705 million unused days – up from 662 million days the year prior. Additionally, 2014 workforce insights from Randstad reported that “42 percent of employees feel obligated to check in with work while on vacation.” Randstad’s research also revealed that when compared to other generations, millennials tend to feel the guiltiest for using all of their vacation days. The moral of the story? Let’s address this situation before it gets further out of hand. Remind yourself that it’s important to take your vacation days and to completely unplug while you’re on them. It’s good for your relationships, mental health, and workplace morale.

Tip 5: Unplug after your day.

At the end of your workday, close your computer, turn off your phone, log out of Instagram, and do something that makes you happy. It could mean going to the gym, making a wholesome meal for dinner, spending time with your family, or taking a break to meditate. If you’re able to be kind to yourself at the end of the workday, you’ll be more motivated to give work your best effort again tomorrow morning.

Here’s to happy, healthy workdays ahead!

Nutritional information

Recipe: Creamy Green Strawberry Dream Serving in this recipe:1

  • Calories: 236.6
  • Total Fat: 3.6 g 5.5%
  • Saturated Fat: 0.4 g 1.9%
  • Cholesterol: 0 mg 0%
  • Sodium: 358.7 mg 14.9%
  • Total Carbs: 45.7 g 15.2%
  • Dietary Fiber: 9.9 g 39.4%
  • Sugar: 22.1 g
  • Protein: 8.1 g 16.2%
  • Vitamin A: 481.9% Vitamin C: 244.1%
  • Calcium: 68.5% Iron: 26.1%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.